OIH

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1214
TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.12.2017

Ecological Imbalance

1214. SHRI RAVINDRA KUMAR PANDEY:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to

State:

(a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that diversion of forest land for non forestry
purposes including mining has caused ecological imbalance;
(b) if so, the details of the forest land diverted for such purposes in the country during the last
three years and the current year State/UT-wise including Jharkhand;
(c) the extent to which ecological imbalance has deteriorated due to mining activities in the
country; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to check diversion of forest land for mining purposes and
restore ecological balance?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND

CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) to (d) Yes, the details of the forest land diverted for non forestry purposes in the country
during the last three years, State/UT wise including Jharkhand is annexed at Annexure ‘A’.

Non forestry activities including mining have potential for impacting the environment and
ecological balance. Deforestation for mining may inter alia lead to soil erosion and water
pollution, impact flora and fauna etc. However sufficient care is taken to make good possible
damage to forest, wildlife and forest-ecosystem while forest clearances are given for use of forest
land for non forestry purposes as per provision of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

‘Mitigative measures in the form of general, standard and specific conditions are mandated with
every clearance granted.

General conditions inter-alia including raising the Compensatory Afforestation (CA), imposition
of Net Present Value (NPV) to reduce the adverse impact of the diversion of forest land,
demarcation of boundary of the diverted forest land, minimum tree felling, arrangement of
alternate fuels, etc. are imposed.
Standard conditions specific to projects viz. mining are also stipulated in the approvals granted
for diversion of forest land. Standard conditions inter-alia includes phase wise mining
operations, management of safety zone, reclamation of quarry, conservation of topsoil,
preparation and implementation of Catchment Area Treatment Plan, muck disposal plan. In
addition to general and standard conditions, specific conditions are also stipulated in the approval
based on the recommendation made by the Forest Advisory Committee.
.
***
ANNEXURE-A

State-wise details of proposals accorded approvals under FC Act, 1980 for non-forestry purposes including
mining for three last years
Category : All Categories During the Period: 2014 to 2017

S.
STATEs / Uts No. of Cases Total Land Diverted (Ha.)
No.
1 Andaman and Nicobar 8 24.19
2 Andhra Pradesh 28 3669.43
3 Arunachal Pradesh 28 1086.34
4 Bihar 75 658.93
5 Chandigarh 3 40.25
6 Chhattisgarh 38 5048.40
7 Dadar & Nagar Haveli 2 1.51
8 Delhi 4 15.15
9 Goa 5 41.59
10 Gujarat 98 1265.21
11 Haryana 796 7961.17
12 Himachal Pradesh 60 745.50
13 Jharkhand 23 3126.09
14 Karnataka 57 717.60
15 Kerala 5 26.61
16 Madhya Pradesh 98 8047.42
17 Maharashtra 40 6345.87
18 Manipur 10 776.90
19 Meghalaya 2 142.93
20 Mizoram 2 74.73
21 Orissa 69 6140.64
22 Punjab 566 912.40
23 Rajasthan 50 4392.66
24 Sikkim 16 83.72
25 Tamil Nadu 13 538.45
26 Telangana 20 7388.54
27 Tripura 11 94.58
28 Uttar Pradesh 9 609.87
29 Uttarakhand 91 2107.01
30 West Bengal 10 285.17

Total 2237 62368.87